A guide to infant formula for parents who are bottle feeding

How do I help my baby to feed from a bottle?
• Always hold your baby close to you and look into his eyes
when feeding. This helps your baby feel safe and loved.
• Try to hold your baby fairly upright, with his head supported
in a comfortable, neutral position.
• Hold the bottle horizontal to the ground, tilting it just
enough to ensure your baby is taking milk, not air, through
the teat. Babies feed in bursts of sucking with short pauses
to rest. In this position, when your baby pauses for a rest
the milk will stop flowing, allowing him to have a short rest
before starting to suck again.
• Brush the teat against his lips and whenheopens his
mouth wide with his tongue down, help him draw the
teat in.
• You will see bubbles in the bottle as your baby feeds. If you
can’t see any bubbles, break the suction between his tongue
and the teat from time to time by moving the teat slightly to
the side of his mouth. You should then see bubbles rushing
back up into the remaining milk.
• Your baby may need short breaks during the feed; he may
also need to burp sometimes.
• Interrupting the feed from time to time also gives your
baby a chance to register how ‘full’ he is, and thus control
his intake.
Your baby needs to be able to relate to those caring for him.
Aim to keep the number of people who feed him as small
as possible.
Your baby should always be held and never be left
unattended while feeding from a bottle.
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